


Cranked Up

by Joycee



Category: White Collar
Genre: Angst, Drug-Induced Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Male Slash, Methamphetamine, Party and Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 03:59:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5191376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joycee/pseuds/Joycee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal becomes a methamphetamine user until Peter and Mozzie intervene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cranked Up

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:**  
>  Very graphic sex scenes.  
> Methamphetamine is a dangerous, addictive drug.

Neal was enjoying attending art history lectures one evening a week at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It gave him a chance to meet some interesting people who weren't connected to his work or his criminal past.

Several women flirted with him, but when they found out Neal wasn't interested in them romantically, they seemed to lose interest. When two sophisticated good looking men about his age asked him if he wanted to go for coffee one night, he readily accepted.

The tall well built blond stuck out his hand and introduced himself and the other man, "I'm Sam Halloran and this is my partner Gordon Green." The slender elegant looking sandy haired man with him nodded and smiled at Neal.

Neal immediately liked them both and he felt relieved that, since they were a couple, there wouldn't be any sexual pressure on him. He really just craved comraderie, someone to hang out with and discuss art and wine and other interesting topics with.

He got in the habit of going to a nearby coffee house with them after the weekly lectures. They always had lively discussions and Neal felt he was really getting to know the two attractive men.

Sam and Gordon were both stockbrokers who worked together at the high powered investment firm, Allied Investors. They seemed well matched and perfectly compatible. Neal enjoyed their affection and playful sense of humor with each other. They reminded him of some happily married couples he knew.

Neal considered introducing them to Peter and Elizabeth, but he really wanted to keep this one aspect of his life separate from his FBI work. Neal hoped they wouldn't discover his anklet and he felt no need to reveal it to them. He felt so normal just chatting sociably with them.

One night, Gordon asked Neal, "Do you ever go out to clubs on the weekend?"

Neal replied, "No, I often have to work on the weekends and really, I'm not much of a party guy."

Sam said, "Oh, that's too bad. We were thinking you might like to come with us this weekend. Don't you like to dance?"

Neal smiled, "Sometimes I like to dance, but I'm not a big drinker. It's just not really my scene."

Sam persisted, "Why don't you come with us just this once. I'll bet you'll have a good time."

Gordon was watching him intently and Neal reluctantly agreed, "Okay, I'll meet you there on Saturday night."

Sam looked delighted and told him, "We're going to the Cuckoo Club. Things don't really get started until about 10:00. How about if we meet you at the door so you won't have to hunt for us?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Neal. He was curious to see what they liked so much about the club.

On Saturday evening, Neal dressed appropriately and nervously drank a couple glasses of wine before it was time to go. He was glad he still had his anklet off for a case they were working. He took a cab to the nightclub and found his two friends waiting for him by the door.

As soon as they got inside, Neal was overwhelmed by the intensity of the packed crowd, the strobing lights and the loud music. He wondered if he'd made a mistake in coming, but Sam and Gordon led him through the main room to a smaller private part of the club.

Sam clapped Neal's shoulder and laughed, "A little better back here, isn't it, Neal? What can I get you to drink?"

Gordon added, "We've been trying flavored martinis. They have cranberry, pomegranate, lime, peppermint, chocolate, even an expresso martini with hazelnut in it. Want to join us?"

Neal smiled indulgently, "Sure. Just order me what you're having."

They sat at a table and other guys in the room stopped by to chat with Gordon and Sam. They introduced Neal enthusiastically. Neal realized that they were all gay men and he hoped his friends weren't trying to set him up. Most of the men seemed to be in pairs already, though.

Sam eventually asked, "Neal, are you gay?" Neal smiled crookedly and explained, "Not really. I've only ever dated women. Wanted to marry one. But, I've, uh, had some experiences with men, too."

They were on their second martinis when the music started to play in their part of the club and men began to dance with each other. Neal appreciated that the music was not as deafening as it had been in the main part of the club.

Gordon stood and held out his hand. "Dance with me, Neal?"

Neal glanced at Sam, who smiled encouragingly. Neal reluctantly agreed, but he soon found he was enjoying himself. When they sat back down, they started on another round of martinis and Neal realized he was getting pretty drunk. The music and the company were stimulating so he didn't feel tired, though.

An hour later, well after midnight, Neal was giggling and slurring his words. His dancing was becoming loose and uninhibited. Sam and Gordon and their friends were lively witty company and Neal hadn't had so much fun in a long time.

Neal confessed semi-coherently to Gordon, "Thish is so mush fun. Oh whoa, I'm really smashed!"

Gordon leaned in close to him and confessed, "I am, too." Both of them dissolved into giggles.

Neal said, "I can' even rememer how many martininis I had. Bet I'm gonna have a big headache tomorrow."

Gordon laughed, "Martininis, huh? Wanna try something else to pick you up? Go in the restroom with Sam."

Neal looked confused, "In the res'room? Oh, Gordon, I don'...I mean I'm not... Wha's Sam doin' in the res'room?"

Gordon said, "C'mon, Neal, I'll go with you. You'll see."

They made their way unsteadily to the restroom where Sam was sitting in a small lounge area looking glassy eyed and high. He grinned and handed a plastic bag full of crystallized powder to Gordon, who poured a little into his hand and snorted it.

Gordon turned to Neal and offered the bag to him. Neal looked troubled and protested, "Oh no, I don' do drugs."

Sam chuckled and said, "That's okay. It won't hurt you to try it just once."

In his drunken condition, Neal thought curiously, "Yeah, I guess it won' hurt to try a little."

Neal mimicked Gordon and snorted a little bit from his hand. He was hit almost immediately with a very pleasurable rush. He smiled foolishly and murmured, "Oh, tha's amazing. What is this?"

Sam looked at him benignly and said, "It's crank. Crystal meth. You mean you've never had it before?"

Neal shook his head, still wondering at the pure euphoria he felt. Gordon took his hand and suggested, "Let's go back to the party. You'll have a good time."

Neal nodded. He found himself dancing uninhibitedly and tirelessly with partner after partner. He completely lost all sense of time. He was totally immersed in his experience of the moment. He thought he had never felt so wonderfully free in his life.

After a while, Neal noticed that men were coupling up and engaging in sexual activities. They were in various stages of undress and intimacy. Instead of being alarmed, Neal felt incredibly aroused.

Gordon came up behind Neal and put his hands on Neal's hips and then pressed his clothed dick against Neal's ass. Neal felt flooded with warmth and desire. He whirled around into Gordon's arms and engaged in a long wet kiss, rubbing himself against Gordon urgently.

Without even pausing, Neal continued making out passionately as Gordon began undressing them. He was peripherally aware of Sam coming over to them and joining in their kissing and petting. Neal was overwhelmed as both men stimulated him and he stepped back a little.

Sam smiled encouragingly and asked, "Have you ever been in a chain?"

Neal shook his head slowly. Sam motioned for a handsome man that Neal had met earlier to join them. Gradually the experienced partners maneuvered them into position on the carpeted section of the room. Gordon took Neal's hard cock into his mouth while Sam pressed his into Neal's mouth. The fourth man completed the circle.

In his drugged state, Neal found it unbelievably erotic. Neal sucked sensuously on Sam while he plunged deeply into Gordon's throat. To Neal's surprise, the intense stimulation did not lead to immediate orgasm. In fact, Neal felt like he could go all night. 

At some point, the men disengaged and rearranged themselves. Finally, Neal came in a fantastic orgasm into the stranger's mouth, while Sam ejaculated into Neal's mouth. He lay there in stunned satisfaction.

Gordon prodded Neal into putting his underwear back on. When all of them were dressed again, Sam and Gordon led Neal out of the club, kissed him good night, and put him into a cab. Neal hazily recalled his address to tell the driver. 

When Neal awoke a couple of hours later, he barely remembered how he got home, but he still felt high and energized. He thought about the sex in the club the night before and immediately got hard again. He got into the shower and jacked off, taking far longer than he usually would to come.

Mozzie dropped in to find Neal absorbed in painting an abstract onto a blank canvas with globs of bright colored paint. Mozzie considered the painting critically and opined, "Well, it's not really my style, but it does have some merit artistically."

Neal smiled broadly, "Thanks, Mozz. That's high praise coming from you."

Mozzie noted, "You're in a good mood this morning. I came by late last night and you weren't here. Where were you?"

Neal replied, "Oh, I went to a club with a couple of guys I met at the art lectures at the Met."

"Oh. I've never thought of you as the clubbing type, but making some new friends who aren't Feds is good. Did you have fun?"

Neal laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I did. It was kind of wild."

Mozzie noted, "Well, you don't seem to be hung over, so I guess you didn't overdo. Just stay away from drugs in those places, my friend."

Neal agreed insincerely, "Oh, you don't have to tell me that. I'm not naive."

Neal returned to his painting, but after a few minutes, he mentioned casually, "Mozz, my friends are gay and so was everyone else at the club."

"It wasn't one of those PnP, party and play scenes, was it?" Mozzie asked with alarm.

"What is that?" Neal inquired innocently. Mozzie explained that it was a common practice for gay men to take methamphetamine and have wild drugged sex with multiple partners. 

Neal didn't reply and Mozzie went on to other topics. When he left, Neal's fatigue finally caught up with him. He fell onto the bed fully clothed and slept through until the following morning.

All day at work on Monday, Neal was preoccupied with thoughts of his experience at the club on Saturday night. He knew he should feel some regret or alarm, but all he really felt was turned on. He finally went into the restroom and quietly jacked off. 

Peter met him on the way out and asked if he wanted to go to lunch. Neal begged off, claiming he had an errand to run. He didn't want to talk about his new friends with Peter.

On Wednesday evening, Neal went to the art history lecture as usual. He felt especially glad to see Sam and Gordon there. After the lecture, the three went to the coffee house.

Sam asked, "So, Neal, you had fun at the club last weekend?"

Neal smiled and nodded, "I did. It was a bit surprising, not exactly what I was expecting."

Gordon put his hand over Neal's on the table and asked, "Any regrets?"

Neal admitted, "No, not really. It was quite an experience."

"Good. Then you'll do it again with us on Friday night," stated Sam confidently.

"Friday? Not Saturday?" Neal asked.

Sam smiled at him and explained, "Well, we usually make a weekend of partying. We start on Friday night and continue right through Saturday night. Then we have Sunday to recover before we have to start the week again."

"Aren't the drugs dangerous?" Neal worried. "I've heard that meth is terribly addicting."

Gordon laughed softly, "That's only if you do it wrong. Not the way we do it."

Neal felt drawn to these men and he wanted to enjoy another sexy experience with them. He could decide after this weekend if he wanted to keep doing it or not.

Neal found himself looking forward to Friday night. Peter noticed, "You're in a good mood. What's happened to make you so happy?"

"Do I have to have a reason to be happy?" Neal protested a little irritably.

Peter raised his eyebrows and soothed, "No, of course not, but you'd tell me if anything was going on with you, wouldn't you?"

Neal asked curiously, "What do you mean? What do you think is going on with me?"

"I don't know. New girlfriend, maybe? Women have always been your weakness," teased Peter.

Neal laughed, "No, nothing like that. I have made a couple of new friends but they're men. I met them at the Lecture series I've been attending at the Met. Don't worry. They're stock brokers, solid citizens, and they're in a committed relationship with each other."

"Oh, so I guess you've made plans with them for this weekend. El keeps reminding me to ask you over for dinner at our house," Peter noted.

"That's nice. Tell Elizabeth I said hi. Maybe next weekend if the invitation's still open?" Neal suggested.

Peter smiled, "Of course. You have a good time with your new friends."

On Friday night, Neal payed special attention to his grooming and his clothing. He eagerly waited until it was time to meet Sam and Gordon at the Cuckoo Club. This time, he was able to find his own way to the back room where his friends were.

Gordon immediately came over and greeted Neal. He teased, "Want a martinini, Neal?"

Neal laughed and accepted, "Pomegranate? Will you let me buy a round?"

Gordon assured him, "That's okay. You're our guest. We've done very well in the stock market. Money isn't really a concern."

Neal noted, "Must be nice. Art authentication experts aren't quite in that league. Well, not usually anyway. Not legally."

Neal looked embarrassed at Gordon's questioning look. He had told the men that's what he did for a living, not wanting them to know about his work for the FBI or his criminal past. He quickly changed the subject. "These martinis are so delicious, but I need to be careful not to drink so many this time."

Gordon smiled indulgently, "Have as many as you want. We'll be having some ice to go with it later."

After his third drink, Neal laughed, "So much for good intentions. I'm getting pretty drunk again. These damn things go down like Kool-aid."

Men had started dancing and Gordon looked at Neal curiously. "So tell me about the sexual experiences that you've had with men."

Neal sighed, "I guess it's time For me to be honest with you."

Gordon raised an eyebrow and Neal confessed, "I spent four years in prison. In fact, I'm still serving time as a Criminal Informant to the FBI." He raised his pant leg and exposed the tracking anklet.

Gordon looked alarmed and exclaimed, "You're a cop? Is this a set up? Are we going to be busted?"

Neal put a hand on his arm and said urgently, "No, no, nothing like that. I'm not a cop. I'm not a criminal any more either. I just want to be friends with you and Sam."

"Just friends? Not lovers?" Gordon asked softly.

"Well, yeah, maybe that, too. Last week after I was with you guys, I just felt so wonderful. It's been a long time since I've had so much pleasure," Neal confided.

Gordon looked a little uncertain and then he shrugged, "Okay, but we better not take your pants off tonight. A lot of guys might freak out."

Neal agreed, "I guess that means we won't be having sex then. Do you want me to go home now?"

Gordon replied gently, "We just won't be having sex in public. Let me talk to Sam. Maybe we'll all go back to our place instead."

Neal looked at him happily and said, "That would really be great."

After Gordon explained to Sam about Neal's anklet, they all piled into a cab to go to the other men's expensive high rise apartment. Neal admired the stylish decor and well chosen contemporary art as Gordon fixed them all drinks. 

Neal pointed out, "You have acquired some really nice art here. A couple of these are worth a small fortune." 

Gordon chuckled, "Appraising them, are you?"

Neal blushed and admitted, "It's an automatic habit with me. I can't help it."

Sam said, "A couple of these were given to us by the artists who painted them in appreciation for managing their assets profitably."

Neal laughed, "I paint as a hobby, but my work is hardly in demand and I don't really have any assets to manage."

Gordon told him, "I'd like to see your work sometime, Neal. If it's as interesting as you are, I'm sure I'd appreciate it."

Sam got out his plastic bag of meth and brought out a pipe. He told Neal, "This is something we can't really do in the club, but it's a great way to get cranked. It brings on a more intense high even faster than snorting."

Neal had sobered up some since leaving the club. He hesitated, "Oh, I don't know. I really don't do drugs. Last weekend was a first for me. I'm still pretty nervous about it."

Gordon brought Neal's drink and sat close to him. He murmured, "Don't be nervous, Neal. There's nothing to be worried about. It'll just be the three of us together."

Sam put on some upbeat music and lit the pipe and inhaled. He passed the pipe to Gordon who did the same. Neal watched the blissful looks come over their faces and decided to go ahead take his turn.

As they said, the rush was even more immediate and intense than it had been before. Neal couldn't stop smiling. He felt like everything was right with the world. He was enormously attracted to his new friends and overwhelmed with gratitude that they didn't hold his past against him.

Gordon knelt down and lifted Neal's pant leg to look at his anklet. He ran his hand slowly up to Neal's crotch, causing an almost electric feeling that made Neal instantly erect. Gordon commented, "When I asked you about your sexual experiences with men, you answered that you had spent time in prison. Is that where you had sex with men?"

Neal blushed and nodded, "Sex is pretty much unavoidable in prison. Mostly blowjobs, but some guys want more."

Sam asked, "Are you saying you were forced, Neal? That must have been awful."

Neal sighed, "It's complicated. Prison is a whole different world from the outside and it has its own rules. It's all about survival and comfort."

Gordon put his arm around Neal. Neal said, "It's unusual for me to talk about it. I just feel comfortable with you guys."

Gordon kissed him and suggested, "Why don't we finish our drinks and then we can all get undressed and go in the bedroom."

Neal grinned, "That sounds good to me. I'm hard as a rock!"

Gordon fondled him and teased, "So I noticed. Meth tends to have that effect."

Sam asked Neal about his work for the FBI and Neal told them about it while they finished their drinks. 

When Neal got up, he swayed and giggled, "These martinis are just as strong as the ones at the clubs, but these glasses are bigger. I think you guys wanted to get me drunk."

"And we apparently succeeded," laughed Sam, grabbing Neal's arm and steering him toward the bedroom. "Neal, are you open to having sex with us? I mean fucking, not just blowjobs..."

Neal nodded slowly, "I've only ever been a bottom..."

Gordon smiled, "Well, there are two of us. Let's see if we can't make you bottom and top at the same time."

Neal groaned with anticipation and they all three fell onto the king sized bed. They started out massaging and exploring each other's muscled bodies. Neal lost track of whose hands were petting him and who he was kissing. His eyes were closed in enjoyment.

Sam handed out condoms and lube and they playfully applied them to each other. Neal lay behind Gordon, kissing and biting the back of his neck, reaching around him to fondle his stiff cock. Sam began to finger Neal's asshole. Neal mimicked Sam's movements to prepare Gordon.

Gordon moaned, "Oh, I'm ready, Neal. Take me, please." 

As Neal lined up to push into Gordon, he felt Sam pressing behind him. Neal entered Gordon with a rush of excitement, provoking a little cry. Then it was Neal's turn to exclaim, "Oh shit" as Sam entered him.

Once they got their bearings, the men began to fuck aggressively, sweating and swearing and panting. Although all three men were in their thirties, they felt like teenagers in their endurance. They broke apart and put on new condoms and recombined with Gordon in the middle.

Before he finally came, Neal was plunging deeply into Gordon. He finally reached a frenzied peak and screamed out incoherently as he exploded into Gordon's ass. He heard Gordon and Sam come just as noisily a few minutes later.

All three men collapsed into a sweaty intimate heap. Neal sighed blissfully, "I can't even believe how fantastic that was." 

Gordon kissed him and Sam rubbed his shoulders. One of them said, "We're glad you wanted to do this with us."

They moved to the large shower where they playfully soaped each other up and rinsed off. They dried each other off with fluffy white towels and were already starting to get hard again by the time they were finished.

Neal found the sex less frenetic and more satisfying the second time around. He lost track of who was fucking whom, but he was pretty sure they all used condoms. At that moment, he didn't really feel concerned about it. At some point, they smoked more meth and started all over again. 

In between rounds of athletic sex, they talked animatedly like old friends. Neal was pleased that his friends shared his passion for art. He found himself confiding in them about some of his past escapades as an art thief and bond forger and as a CI. He spoke lovingly of his handler, Peter.

"Sounds like Peter is special to you, Neal," observed Sam.

"Oh yeah, he really is," enthused Neal. Then he paused. "Not in the way you mean, though. Peter's married to a wonderful woman."

Sam laughed, "Who knows what a little ice would do for him? He might discover a whole new dimension to his relationship with you."

Neal said very seriously, "Oh, Peter would never do drugs. He can't know anything about this either. I really can't keep doing this with you guys."

Gordon soothed him, "Why don't you just take it one weekend at a time, Neal? There's no reason anyone has to know."

Neal finally got back to his apartment late Sunday morning and fell into bed. He woke up early Monday morning and felt a little worn out after his strenuous weekend. Sam had given a small package of meth to put in his coffee in case he needed help getting ready to go back to work, so he decided to try it. 

After Neal drank the drugged coffee, he felt great again. When he got to work, he greeted everyone enthusiastically and then sat down to work on some cold cases. He was surprised how intensely they captured his attention and he worked right through lunch. By the end of the day, he had one case solved and was well on the way to finishing another one.

Peter praised his work and marveled, "Whatever you did over the weekend seemed to agree with you. I think your new friends must be good for you."

Neal gave him a broad smile and agreed, "I guess so."

Peter asked, "So am I going to get meet these guys? Maybe you'd like to bring them over to the house for dinner. I could ask El if the weekend would be good."

Neal hesitated, "Well, not this weekend, Peter. I think they've already made plans."

Peter asked, "Well, what about you then? We haven't seen you in a while."

Neal said nervously, "Well, I think I might be going with them. I'll let you know."

The next day, Neal was tired and jittery at work. He couldn't make any further progress on his cases. He finally told Peter he didn't feel well and asked if he could go home a little early.

Wednesday night after the lecture, Neal confided to his friends that the meth in his coffee had picked him up for work on Monday, but the next day, he had come down pretty hard. He asked them, "Do you guys go to work high?"

"Sometimes," confessed Sam. "There's nothing like it for improving your energy and stamina and concentration. It lasts for about eight hours at a time. If you don't do it too many days in a row, you don't necessarily feel bad when you stop. It's important to stay hydrated and be sure to get enough sleep."

Gordon offered, "If you want to experiment a little bit, Neal, we can give you some to play with."

Neal demurred, "Oh no, I don't think it's a good idea. Anyway, the stuff must be expensive."

"It's not as much as you might think, but I told you, Gordon and I aren't worried about money. We have some very high paying clients and we've done extremely well in the stock market," assured Sam.

Gordon asked, "Are we going to see you again this weekend?"

Neal replied, "Well, I don't want keep you from going clubbing just because of my anklet."

"That's okay. We can go to the club first and go home to play later, if you want to come with us," Gordon smiled.

Neal agreed to meet them on Saturday night. As he left, Sam discreetly pressed a little package of meth into his hand.

The next morning, Neal turned the package of meth over in his hand and looked at it. He thought about it for a while, but he finally succumbed to the temptation to snort just a little bit of it. He hid the rest inside a tea pot.

As the energetic sense of well being and confidence took over him, he smiled and decided he'd made the right decision. He got some expresso on the way to work and sat around socializing with some probies until Peter came out of his office and motioned for Neal to come.

"What's up, Peter?" Neal asked cheerfully. Peter studied him and commented, "You're in a good mood."

"Sure am," Neal affirmed. "Got any interesting cases for me?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Peter said, handing him a new file. "There's a strange pattern of activity going on over at a brokerage firm named Allied Investors. An administrative assistant picked it up and brought it to us."

Neal felt a little shock run through him. Allied Investors was where Gordon and Sam worked. Neal hoped this wasn't anything that would cause trouble for them. He casually took the file from Peter and said, "Let me take a little time to look over it."

Neal spent all morning immersed in the case file. He barely looked up when Peter asked him if he wanted to get some lunch. Neal said distractedly, "No, you go ahead. I think I'm beginning to understand what's going on here."

Neal did indeed understand what the problem was. Someone at Allied Investors was cooking the books. What he was trying to find out now was who it was. Nagging at his consciousness was Sam's cocky assurances about how money was no problem because they were doing so well in the market.

In Neal's experience, the old adage about things seeming to be too good to be true was never wrong. He thought guiltily about how he was riding the high from meth given to him by Sam as he pored over the case file.

When everyone else went home, Neal stayed in place, still trying to fit the pieces together. Peter stopped by his desk and joked, "You don't get paid overtime. That file will still be here in the morning. Time to call it a night."

Neal gave him a distracted smile and said, "Yeah, I guess it's time to go. I think I'll just bring this home with me."

Peter asked solicitously, "Really got your attention, huh? Want to talk it over? Maybe we can solve it together."

Neal turned him down politely, "Not yet. I need to check a few more things out first."

Peter noticed Neal's tense posture and asked, "Anything wrong, Neal?"

"No," laughed Neal. "I just got a little obsessed, I guess."

Peter reached out and took Neal's hand. He blurted out, "I miss you, Buddy. We haven't spent much time together lately."

Neal withdrew his hand and blushed a little. He felt his cock start to bulge in his pants and he looked away. He admitted, "I miss you, too, Peter. We'll get together soon."

Peter offered to drive him home and Neal gratefully accepted. They chatted casually on the way without any further awkwardness. When Neal got inside his apartment, he went straight to the tea pot where he left the packet of meth.

He took it in his bathroom and snorted a little bit. Relief flooded over him as his energy and his mood picked up again. Neal stowed the last of the powder back in the tea pot. He realized he wasn't hungry, but poured himself a glass of wine. 

Mozzie came strolling in without knocking and began to rant about how the capitalistic system was ruining the country and the stock market was rigged against regular investors. Neal let him wind down and then asked, "What brought that on?"

Mozzie looked at him incredulously. He sputtered, "Surely you realize how rich stock brokers on Wall Street are ripping off the 99%!"

Neal giggled, "Mozz, I don't think you and I are even in the 1%. More like the .001%."

Mozzie looked at Neal curiously and noted his dilated pupils. He asked carefully, "My friend, are you high on something?"

Neal protested, "No. Mozz, no. Why are you asking me? You know I've never done drugs."

"Not in the past. How are your new gay friends? Have you been going out to clubs with them?" Mozzie asked suspiciously.

"I don't appreciate that. As a matter of fact, I'm going out with them on Saturday night. Is there anything wrong with that," Neal huffed.

"That depends on what you're doing there, I guess," Mozzie persisted.

"Okay, Mozz," Neal dismissed him. "If you don't mind, I have a case to work on tonight."

After Mozzie left, Neal became engrossed in the case file again. He was so absorbed that he almost didn't notice when Peter called him. He quickly picked up, "Oh hey, Peter. What's up? Yeah, I was just going over it again. There's something I'm not seeing yet. It's here, though. I know it is. I just have to find it."

Peter admonished him to get some rest and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning. Neal wasn't tired, though. He switched from wine to coffee and continued to puzzle over the documents. Finally, at 5:00 am, he found what he had been looking for.

Someone was definitely moving clients' investment funds around in an improper manner and that someone was getting very rich from doing it. Neal was pretty sure he knew who the someone was.

He took a shower and got ready for work. He still wasn't hungry so he skipped breakfast, but he drank more coffee. Then he retrieved the last of his meth stash from the tea pot and snorted it. Once again, he felt refreshed and ready to go, in spite of not sleeping for the last two nights.

When Peter got in, Neal was already waiting for him. He asked to go over the brokerage case so he could show Peter the progress he'd made, but Peter had a meeting with Hughes all morning. 

At lunchtime, Neal went out for more coffee. He felt revved up and wanted some air and some exercise. When he got back to the office, he suddenly felt like his pulse was beating way too fast. He tried to ignore it, but he began to feel panicky. Maybe he'd taken too much meth. 

Peter walked up and startled him. "Whoa, Buddy. Didn't mean to sneak up on you. You okay?"

Neal nodded distractedly. He stammered, "Y-yeah, I think so. I mean, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess."

"Did you stay up all night working on that brokerage case?" Peter asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, I guess. Got a little obsessed about it. I'm okay now. Really," Neal assured him.

"Want to talk about it now?" asked Peter. Neal asked distractedly, "About what?"

Peter looked at him closely, "About the case. Neal, I think maybe you ought to go on home and get some rest."

"Yeah, okay. Maybe that's a good idea," admitted Neal with visible relief.

"Take it easy this weekend, Buddy. We'll start fresh on Monday," Peter told him.

Neal went home and collapsed into bed, but he remembered to drink a bottle of water before he went to sleep. In the morning, he felt slow and depressed. He decided that he shouldn't go to the club to meet Sam and Gordon that night.

He was still fighting the temptation to go when Gordon called him. Neal tried to keep a light tone, "Hey, Gordon. I was just thinking I wouldn't be able to join you guys tonight. Work has been a bitch."

Gordon pleaded, "Please, Neal. I'm worried about Sam. He's determined to shoot up meth tonight. I can't talk him out of it. I could use some moral support."

"Oh, okay. Then I'll come. That's really dangerous, isn't it? Shooting up?" Neal worried.

"Well, it's sure a good way to lose control and get addicted. I should have seen it coming," Gordon said.

When Neal found his way to Gordon, he could see how upset he was. Gordon led Neal to the restroom where Sam was sitting stoned beside his bag of meth, a syringe and a tourniquet. 

Sam greeted Neal enthusiastically, "Oh Neal, I see you came after all. I suppose Gordon told on me for injecting. It's really no big deal. No different from snorting or smoking except it takes you up higher and faster. You should try it! I'm fine. Better than fine. Great!"

Neal declined, "Okay, Sam, but it's not for me. You take it easy."

Gordon took the bag and removed a hefty amount to snort. He offered some to Neal, saying, "Don't worry, you won't get into trouble doing it this way. We might as well still have a good time. I'll talk some sense into Sam when he comes down."

Neal refused, "I don't think so, Gordon. That stuff is dangerous no matter how you use it. Believe me, I enjoy it, but I can't afford to get hooked on it."

Gordon threw an arm around Neal. He smiled, "I told you not to worry about the cost. It's my treat. Or Sam's treat. He loves to share."

Neal wavered, "If I get high with you, can we talk, Gordon?"

"We can talk. We can dance. We can have sex. We can do anything you want," Gordon offered expansively.

Neal gave in, "Okay. This will probably be the last time, but as long as I'm here, I might as well."

He realized right away that he had just taken a larger dose than he'd had before. A big smile broke across his face and he felt a little delirious. "Oh wow. That was a lot."

Gordon took his arm and said happily, "Come on, Neal. I feel like dancing. Don't you?"

Neal followed him. When he got close enough he playfully rutted his cock against Gordon's ass. They began to dance sensuously, totally into the music and each other. When the music paused, they kissed.

Gordon led Neal over to a table. One of their friends brought a couple of martinis over to them. Neal felt fully alive and warmed by a feeling of closeness with the other men. He asked lazily, "Gordon, is this what you call party and play?"

Gordon gave him a lopsided smile and agreed, "Yeah, Neal. That's what it is. Fun, huh?"

Neal concentrated and asked, "Gordon, are you or Sam in any trouble at your work?"

"Why would you ask that?" Gordon wondered. "Actually, I'm worried about Sam. It's just that he's making too much money. I think it's the drugs that are driving him."

Neal asked, "Do you want to come spend the night with me? Would Sam be okay?"

Gordon gave Neal an impassioned look. "I can get somebody to make sure he gets home okay. I'm not too thrilled about being with him tonight. He won't listen to me anyway."

"Let's go then," prompted Neal. "I want us to have some time together."

They made out in the cab all the way to Neal's apartment. Gordon was amazed when he saw where Neal lived. He giggled, "I thought you were a poor prisoner, not a rich playboy."

Neal let them in and explained, "I'm not rich. I'm just lucky. I have good friends."

"Now you have another one," Gordon reminded him as they melted into each other. 

Neal poured them both some brandy that he saved for special occasions. Gordon produced another bag of meth from his pocket and suggested, "Would you mind? I guess I'm upset about Sam, but I just feel like getting really high tonight. It'll last longer too if we do a little more.

Neal was beyond objecting. After they snorted more and drank their brandy, they began to passionately make love. Both men were muscular and fit and they had athletic enthusiastic sex that lasted a couple of hours before they finally reached an ecstatic finish. 

Only after they were lying quietly together afterward did Neal realize they hadn't used a condom. In his drugged and sated condition, he dismissed that thought as being unimportant. He playfully licked Gordon's face, making him squeal with delight.

They woke up early and Neal fixed them coffee with brandy in it. Gordon lounged comfortably beside him, naked and completely relaxed. He dropped a pinch of meth into their coffees and soon they were back in bed, ravishing each other again. 

When Gordon rimmed Neal's asshole with his tongue, Neal thought he would lose his mind. Finally, after they were both fulfilled, they took a shower and got dressed. Gordon said, "I'd better go home and see about Sam. I hope he didn't inject any more crank last night."

Neal was concerned. He remembered, "Last night, you told me you thought Sam might be in trouble at work. What did you mean by that?"

Gordon looked troubled. "Well, it's just that I think he may be doing some things with clients' accounts that aren't quite right."

"You mean churning them so they have to pay extra fees " Neal questioned.

"Well, yes, and also skimming money from clients' accounts to invest for himself," confessed Gordon.

"How can he get away with that?" asked Neal. Gordon explained, "Well, eventually it will catch up to him, but temporarily he can just keep money moving around so it's hard to detect."

Neal said urgently, "Gordon, you've got to get him to stop. He's going to get caught if he doesn't."

Gordon moaned, "I know, but he won't listen to me. I'm afraid he's getting addicted to the crank. I can hardly ever find a time when he's not using any more."

After Gordon left, Neal was upset. He knew he'd already given Gordon more warning than he should have, but he didn't want his friends to get arrested for fraud. Neal knew he should tell Peter what was going on, but he didn't want to."

"I've got to stop using meth myself," he vowed to himself.

Mozzie knocked and let himself in. He asked right away, "Which club did you go to last night?"

Neal answered unenthusiastically, "The Cuckoo Club. Why?"

"Well, I guess you must have left before the cops busted the place then. Turned out there was a big party and play scene going on. Lots of methamphetamine. I don't suppose you know anything about that."

Neal couldn't hide his shock. Mozzie looked at Neal's eyes and noticed his hugely dilated pupils. He sighed, "Oh no, Neal, you got involved in that, didn't you? How long have you been using?"

Neal felt ashamed. He said mournfully, "Oh Mozz. Just a couple of weeks. It seemed so harmless. It's really seductive. The sex is so hot."

Mozzie said unsympathetically, "Well, I hope you at least practiced safe sex."

When Neal didn't respond, Mozzie exclaimed in horror, "Neal! Please tell me you practiced safe sex. You know, condoms?"

Neal hung his head and said in a low voice, "Mostly."

Mozzie inhaled sharply. He insisted, "Okay, we have to get you tested. Repeatedly, until we you know you are in the clear. Oh, what were you thinking, my friend?"

"That's just it. I wasn't thinking, Mozz. Don't you get it?" Neal lashed out.

Mozzie soothed, "Okay, okay. Now you have to stop seeing your new friends. I don't care how much you like them or how lonely you are. They aren't good for you. No more clubbing, no more party and play."

"Okay, Mozz," Neal agreed, if only to placate his old friend.

After Mozzie left, Neal lay down on his bed. He reached for a glass of water on his nightstand and his hand found the bag of meth that Gordon must have left behind. He was coming down hard from the night before and he felt depressed because his friends were in trouble. 

Impulsively, he poured some of the drug into his hand and snorted it. He immediately felt high and guilty at the same time. In desperation, he reached for his phone and called Peter and asked him to come over.

Peter was alarmed by the despair in his Neal's voice and responded right away. He found Neal anxiously pacing the length of his small apartment. Peter went over and put an arm around him. Neal leaned into him.

When Neal faced Peter, there were tears in his dilated eyes. He begged, "Peter, can you help me?"

"What are you on, Neal?" Peter asked gently. He winced when Neal answered, "Crank."

Neal buried his head in Peter's shoulder. He whimpered, "I'm so mixed up. I just wanted to have some friends. And then I tried it and it felt so good. I've only been using it for a couple of weeks."

Peter nodded, "I know. I have a pretty good idea when you started. I knew something was going on with you."

"What am I going to do?" whispered Neal. Peter told him, "Well, first we need to let you come down a little bit. When did you take your last hit?"

Neal admitted, "Just a little while ago, but this time I just got so scared."

Peter asked, "Do you have any left?" Neal nodded toward his nightstand. Peter went over and picked up the bag. He tucked it into his pocket.

"You're not going to throw it away?" asked Neal. Peter shook his head. "Not just yet."

Neal exhaled and rested his head comfortably against Peter's shoulder again. He remembered, "I have something to tell you about the case I've been working on. It involves my friends."

"Oh, right, the stockbrokers. No wonder you were fixated on it," Peter recalled.

Neal giggled, "Well, that and the drugs. I'm still so high, Peter."

Peter smiled sympathetically, "I know. How about if you go swim some laps in the pool to work off some of that energy and tension?"

Neal beamed, "Really? That's a great idea. Will you come with me?"

Peter nodded. "Got an extra suit that will fit me? I don't want to drive all the way home to get mine."

Neal's Lycra suit fit Peter very snugly. The outline of his impressive junk was clearly visible. Neal was turned on as soon as he saw him and there was no way to hide his response. Still high, Neal moved behind Peter and casually rubbed his cock against Peter's ass.

To his surprise, Peter turned and pressed their bodies together, his arms tight around Neal. He murmured, "Don't start something you don't want to finish."

Neal asked quietly, "What if I do want to finish it?" Peter laughed, "Then we're in the wrong place."

Neal asked suggestively, "Well, when we finish swimming, can we go to the right place?"

Peter just replied, "Let's swim first. How many laps do you usually do?"

Neal was a practiced swimmer in excellent condition and he easily outpaced Peter. The regular rhythm of swimming back and forth over the length of the pool soothed him. When he finally stopped, he felt much less tense and strung out.

The two men showered and dressed and Peter drove them back to Neal's apartment. When they got inside, Neal flopped onto the bed. To his surprise, Peter lay down next to him and put his arms around him.

Peter said, "This is the right place if you're still interested." Neal hesitated. He asked tentatively, "Elizabeth?"

"Doesn't mind," answered Peter, running a finger suggestively down Neal's body from his neck to his crotch. Neal turned toward him and shyly kissed him. Peter kissed back casually. Neal began avidly kissing and nipping at Peter's neck. Peter laughed fondly.

Neal slid down and undid Peter's fly, reaching in to free his ample cock. He teased a little and then took the partially hard organ into his mouth. He thrilled at Peter's quick response. Neal ground his own pressing erection against Peter's leg as he sucked enthusiastically on his excited partner. 

Peter tangled his hands in Neal's tousled hair and began to actively thrust into Neal's mouth, groaning with pleasure. Neal tickled him with his tongue and fondled his balls. He opened his hazy blue eyes and gazed into Peter's light brown ones, seeing only love there.

Neal moved up so he had all of Peter's long cock in his mouth. Both men were moaning. Peter jerked several times and then let loose. He warned, "I'm gonna come....right....now" and Neal swallowed his cum.

Neal rested his head against Peter's groin and pushed against Peter's leg a few more times before arching up and crying, "Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. Ohhh."

He rolled off of Peter, sheepishly revealing his sticky pants. He said hoarsely, "Oh, I just couldn't help that. You're so sexy."

Peter held him for a minute and then asked seriously, "You gonna be okay with this?"

Neal nodded enthusiastically, "I'm so okay with this!" He rolled his head back for Peter to pet his hair. Peter chuckled softly. He breathed, "Oh Neal..."

They briefly napped. When Peter woke up, Neal was in the kitchen making coffee for them. Peter moved to sit at the table. He checked, "Ready to talk to me now?"

Neal poured their coffee and then related to Peter everything he knew about Sam Halloran and Allied Investors. When Peter suggested they subpoena Sam's bank records, Neal pointed out that most of Sam's money seemed to be going into buying drugs and expensive art.

Peter thought a minute and then asked, "Do you think you could get some evidence if you go back to your friends one more time?"

"I know can," Neal nodded, "but I really don't think Gordon is guilty of anything. He suspects Sam, too."

"Think you could flip him?" Peter asked. "There's probably someone higher up in the organization involved for fraud to be taking place at that level."

Neal replied, "Probably. Gordon's pretty worried about Sam. Can you offer Sam a deal if he turns himself in?"

Peter answered, "Yeah I think so. Especially if he has no criminal history. I'll have Jones look him up tomorrow. How do you want to set your part up?"

"Well, ordinarily I'd see them Wednesday night and then we'd make plans for the weekend," Neal explained.

"Okay, then let's keep that way," suggested Peter. "Neal, can you stay away from the meth while you do this?"

"I'm not sure," Neal confessed honestly. "That's part of what we do together. They might be reluctant to confide in me if I don't join them."

"Well, you'll have to play it by ear, but we're going to get you off that stuff for good," Peter promised. "It's too easy to get addicted."

"Um, Peter," Neal said, looking down, "Um, I may have had have sex with Gordon without a condom."

"That drug really makes people do stupid things, doesn't it?" Peter shook his head. "You probably got lucky this time, but you need to be tested to be sure."

"I know," said Neal. "Mozzie made that clear to me. I won't let that happen again."

"Mozzie knows you've been using meth?" questioned Peter.

"He guessed. He was worried when I told him Sam and Gordon took me to a gay club. He asked me if they were involved in party and play," Neal told him. "It was after he left this morning that I called you. I realized I was getting sucked in and I didn't know what else to do."

Peter put his arms around Neal and said firmly, "I've got you, Buddy."

Neal relaxed into his embrace and said, "Thanks." Peter poured them each a Scotch and said, "Let's see if this will you bring you down a little bit so you can sleep."

The two men ended up having three of them before Neal finally began to succumb to the alcohol and fatigue. He mumbled, "Pe'er, I think I'm gonna go bed now. 'm too tired to stay awake anymore. Will you tuck me in?"

Peter gently led him to bed and covered him. He said fondly, "Get some rest, Buddy. I'm going to stay here with you tonight. I'll sleep on the couch."

"No," protested Neal with a strong a grasp of Peter's wrist. "Sleep here with me. Hold me, okay?"

Peter stripped to his underwear, turned out the lights and got into bed with Neal. He whispered, "Sleep now. I won't let anything happen to you."

Peter woke up early the next morning to see Neal checking the pockets of Peter's jacket. He called out, "It's not in there. I locked it in the trunk of my car."

Neal nodded sheepishly, "Oh, I was just..." Peter said calmly, "...looking for more crank? I know. That's obvious. You don't need it, Neal. Come on back to bed and I'll give you a back rub."

Neal was nervous, though, and declined, "I'll just make some coffee."

Peter got up and poured some brandy into the coffee. He commented, "You need to keep coming down, Buddy."

Neal accepted the laced coffee and then just poured himself some straight brandy. He grinned at Peter, "Coming down."

Peter stayed with Neal until he had slept some more and felt calm and composed. Neal gave him a heartfelt kiss and thanked him. Neal vowed, "I'm going to get Sam to confess to you so we can close the brokerage case."

After Peter left, Neal felt inspired to paint again. He worked on his abstract canvas with Sam in mind.

On Wednesday, Neal showed up for the art lecture at the Met and found his friends there. He was carrying a transmitter pen in his pocket and he went to the coffee house with them hoping to get Sam to confess to financial fraud. 

All that Sam and Gordon wanted to talk about though was the raid on the Cuckoo Club the weekend before. Sam asked suspiciously, "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you, Neal? You and Gordon left before it happened."

Neal denied, "No, I didn't even find out about it until the next day after Gordon had gone home. How did you get away, Sam?"

Sam explained, "There's a back door out of the restroom. I slipped out while the cops were still in the bar."

Gordon added proudly, "Sam has decided not to shoot up any more. He was almost too fucked up to get away."

Sam nodded, "That was a mistake. I'm going to stick with snorting and smoking. Are you interested in coming over on Saturday night, Neal."

"As a matter of fact, I am," Neal agreed. "I finished a painting that I want to give you to add to your collection."

Neal took his painting with him when he went to the men's luxury apartment on Saturday night. He wore a fake Rolex with a transmitter. Peter reminded him that he had to keep it on for it to work.

Sam and Gordon were thrilled with Neal's abstract painting. They immediately found a spot on the wall to hang it. Neal steered the conversation to art and investments. He asked Sam pointedly, "How it is it possible that you've made so much money in the market? Isn't there usually a downside, too?"

Sam fixed them martinis and proceeded to describe how he churned clients' accounts to generate profit and skim some for himself. He pointed out, "It wasn't my idea. I let one of the partners talk me into it. The partners have been using junior associates like me to do it for them for years."

Neal said seriously, "You know, Sam, what are you describing is illegal. It's a dangerous game and you are sure to get caught."

Sam held Gordon's hand and sighed, "I know. It's like shooting up crank. It's a trerrific rush, but it's too dangerous. I know I need to stop."

Neal casually clicked off his watch. He warned, "The FBI is already investigating your case, Sam. I shouldn't be telling you this, but the best thing you can do is to confess to my friend Peter and make a good deal with him."

Sam looked at Gordon, who agreed, "It's the only way, Sam."

Neal pointed out, "I didn't know anything about you when I met you. Your case came across my desk a couple of weeks ago and I figured it out. Somebody else in your office has already discovered what you've been doing. That's how it came to the attention of the FBI."

Sam looked at them with a resigned air and capitulated. "Okay, I'll turn myself in on Monday if Neal will be sure I get to talk to Peter. Now are you two going to party with me one last time tonight? I need to have some good sex to remember."

Neal grinned and said, "Sure. This is the last time for me, too." He paused and then inquired hesitantly, "Gordon, uh, are you disease free? Because I think we kind of forgot to use condoms the other night."

Gordon reassured him and promised they would be safe in the future.

Sam handed them each a little blue pill and grinned, "This is Viagra to make sure we don't get crank dick."

They laughed and took the pills with another martini and then passed a pipe around. Neal was amazed at how hard his dick got as he was flooded with euphoria. All three of them undressed and showed off for each other with silly poses.

Gordon fixed them more martinis and they casually jacked themselves while they drank. When all of them had solid erections, they donned condoms and applied lube and luxuriated in each other's naked bodies. 

Sam paused and asked, "Are you guys willing to make a fantasy of mine come true? I've always wanted two guys to fuck me at the same time."

Gordon nodded, "I am. Are you up for it, Neal?" Neal laughed at the double entendre and consented, "I'm willing to try it."

Sam suggested, "Why don't you start with my mouth?"

Gordon and Neal knelt on either side of Sam's shoulders and began to tease him, brushing first one, then the other, of their dicks across his mouth and then giving them to him to suck until they finally eased the heads of both of their turgid cocks into his mouth.

Sam moaned and thrashed and kept up a steady rhythm with his hand on his own throbbing organ. Before any of them came, he released them from his mouth and slurred, "Okay, I'm ready to take both of you in my ass now."

Without the meth, Neal would never have considered doing anything so kinky, but under the influence of the drug, extreme sex was very appealing. His brain craved the exotic stimulation.

Gordon positioned himself in front with Sam's legs spread around his waist. When he was inside and fucking, with Sam's cock wedged between the two men's abs, Neal approached from behind. His arms and legs were wrapped all the way around Sam and part of the way around Gordon.

Neal eased his well lubed sheathed cock into Sam's asshole beside Gordon's, causing a loud gasp from Sam. Neal moaned helplessly at the feel of Gordon's hard length rubbing against his as they both plunged into Sam. He felt himself losing all coherent thought.

Sam spasmed and came in an extravagant orgasm that dislodged the other two men from him. They continued to fuck against him on either side. Sam crawled out from between them and Gordon and Neal were left frotting furiously. 

Gordon reached down and removed their condoms so they could feel each other's wet velvety skin. He moved his hand to enclose them together as their movements intensified and then stuttered irregularly as they lost control.

Both of them were groaning and grunting loudly and then they were kissing passionately and erupting all over each other. When it was over, Neal sighed, "Fuck, I've never felt anything like that."

Gordon and Neal shifted their positions so Sam was included in their embrace. Finally, all three of them lay back weakly, sweating and panting. They continued to give each other soothing kisses and touches until they slowly came back down to earth.

When they had enough energy, they moved to the shower and enjoyed letting the hot water flow over them. Afterward they sat with towels wrapped loosely around them and drank another round of martinis.

Gordon proposed goodnaturedly, "Neal, can Sam and I snort another line of ice off of your beautiful ass?"

Neal grinned, "Sure, why not?" He got down on his hands and knees and thrust his ass up for them. Sam sprinkled the powder onto him and they lowered their faces to breathe it in. Before Neal could change positions, Sam surprised him by inserting some of the drug into his ass.

A thrilling high swept over Neal with renewed intensity. He growled and rolled over and grabbed Sam and pulled him into a tight hug that forced their renewed tense erections together. Gordon whined, "Don't forget me guys" and they all laughed.

They arranged themselves into a chain with Gordon on the bottom and Sam on the top. Neal was overwhelmed from both sides and he bit down hard into Sam's shoulder. He couldn't believe how perfectly fulfilled he felt as he fucked and got fucked at the same time.

Just when he thought, he could stay there forever, he felt Sam clamp down on him in front and Gordon orgasm into him from the back. Neal yelled, "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck me!" and exploded into Sam. 

He didn't even have the strength left to disengage from them and mournfully complained when they slid away from him. Both of them cuddled and pet him and covered him with kisses. Neal temporarily lost consciousness in their arms.

When he awoke, Neal was resting with his head against Gordon's shoulder. Gordon gave Neal an encouraging little smile and squeezed him with the arm he had wrapped around Neal's shoulder. Sam lay next to them lightly snoring.

Neal smiled at Gordon and told him fervently, "I'll never forget this night as long as I live."

Gordon affectionately stroked Neal's warm skin. He asked sadly, "How bad do you think things are going to get for Sam?"

Neal assured him sincerely, "Peter will do the best he can for him. If Sam can give Peter enough information about the partners who originated the scheme, he will probably be able to greatly reduce the charge against himself."

Gordon speculated, "Do you think the FBI could force Sam into rehab?"

Neal affirmed, "The court certainly could do that. I think it would be a good idea."

Gordon nodded, "I think I'm going to do that, too. I can't keep on like this, and anyway I want to be healthy to help Sam stay straight."

Neal sighed, "You guys really love each other, don't you? I envy you."

"You've really been special to us, Neal. We seduced you because you're so damn attractive. I know we'll always treasure the painting you gave us," Gordon gushed.

Neal grinned, "Did you notice that I named the painting _A Flash of Chaos_?"

Gordon chuckled, "Nice. Very appropriate."

When Neal finally staggered outside very early the next morning, Peter was waiting for him. He opened the car door for Neal to get in. He asked quietly, "Are you sure Sam will turn himself in?" 

Neal nodded, blinking back tears, "Gordon will bring him to the office tomorrow morning and they will ask for you. Peter, he was used by the partners. I know that doesn't excuse what he did, but it will help, won't it?"

"I think I might be able to get Sam a sentence of mandatory rehab in a treatment facility if he can offer solid evidence against them. Do you think Sam would accept that?" Peter questioned.

Neal smiled, "Thanks, Peter. I think Sam and Gordon would both be grateful for that."

Peter looked at him seriously. "Now, what about you, Neal? How are we going to get you off this stuff?"

Neal said sadly, "I know it won't be easy, Peter, but I'm through with it."

Peter clapped him on the shoulder encouragingly and then leaned over and kissed his cheek. He pulled out his phone and called home. "El? I'm bringing Neal home to stay with us for a few days. He's going to need a lot of TLC. Thanks, Hon. I knew I could count on your support. We'll go by and pick up some clothes for Neal and then we'll be home."

"Won't Elizabeth be upset about you having sex with me?" Neal asked anxiously.

"No, I told you. She understands. She knows how much I love her. My love for you doesn't threaten her. Our marriage is solid."

Neal said wistfully, "I hope some day I'll find a special partner the way you and El and Gordon and Sam have. I don't always want to be the extra man."

"You won't," Peter assured him. "Let's get you home and off the drugs right now. That's our first priority."

Neal rested his head against Peter's shoulder and said sincerely, "Peter I can always count on you. You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Well, Mozzie has been pretty worried about you, too," Peter reminded him. "He'll be anxious to hear you're okay."

"See? Mozzie is a good influence on me sometimes," Neal teased.

Peter sighed, "When will you ever realize that people love you, Neal, and believe that you're worth it?"

"Maybe starting right now," Neal agreed happily.

**Author's Note:**

> Party and Play & Methamphetamine:  
> http://addictions.about.com/od/meth/a/Party-And-Play.htm  
> http://www.drugpolicy.org/drug-facts/methamphetamine-facts
> 
>    
> Characters Neal, Mozz, Peter and El were originally created for the White Collar series on USA TV by Jeff Eastin.
> 
> The names of other characters and entities are entirely fictional, made up by this writer.


End file.
